


Playing my Part

by Tangledfangirl



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23742508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangledfangirl/pseuds/Tangledfangirl
Summary: Cassandra's thoughts right before she sings "Waiting in the Wings"
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Playing my Part

**Author's Note:**

> Cass is my favorite character and I absolutely love this song. She's so deep and complex that writing her thoughts was really fun for me. Please enjoy and comment!

* * *

The chatter of the group echoed behind me, still as continuous and overlapping as always, but frayed with a tense, worried undertone. I could hear the concern in Raps' voice as she talked to Eugene, her voice just barely too soft for me to hear. But although the future guard in me wanted to stay as up to date as possible on the emotional status of the group, the rest of me knew that I wouldn't be able to handle any more discussion about feelings. 

On a normal day, I'd be part of this conversation, not saying much but taking in every word: Eugene's self-absorbed comments about his looks, Lance's deepest fears and worries, and even Shorty's odd remarks about some distant relative he has. But today was anything but normal. So here I sat, by myself fifty yards from everyone else, my back turned so I didn't have to look at their faces. 

Especially _Adira._

The mere thought of her made my blood boil and my fists clench into balls at my side. I hadn't been sent on this journey to follow the black rocks for my own health. No, King Frederic himself had asked me to come along. As Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting and the daughter of the Captain of the Guards, I'd been the best candidate for Rapunzel's bodyguard. But Adira seemed to completely ignore that fact, taking over my position and the role that I'd worked so hard to fill. 

So far, pretty much every time I'd warned the group not to do something or go someplace, I'd been right. When I told Rapunzel that drinking a magical tea that would turn us into birds is an outrageously stupid idea? She'd nearly spent the rest of her life as a bird. Or the time Eugene wanted to fling us over the geysers in the Forest of No Return? He ended up lost and the rest of us ended up attacked by flying spider-flower-bat things. Today was the worst day of our journey so far, no question about it. Tears began to spring to my eyes when I remembered what Rapunzel had said to me earlier that day. 

I'd warned her about the reckless jump she'd made last night, one that could have easily resulted in the death of her and Maximus if he'd been a less capable horse. 

_Yeah, that one,_ I'd said, looking at the blonde with hopes that she'd finally see my point of view. _It was pretty reckless._

Her words echoed in my mind like a bad song, the type that gets stuck in your head and stays there no matter how much you try to get rid of it. _Cass, you of all people should know I can handle myself pretty well out here. I don't need someone to keep me safe._

"I don't need someone to keep me safe." That was the killer. For one thing, she absolutely did need someone to keep her safe (the poor girl was lucky she wasn't dead by now), and for another, that was the sole reason I'd dropped everything and joined her. If I'd stayed, my father had said he'd be willing to consider letting me join the Guard, for the bravery I'd shown by leading the attack against Varian nearly six months ago. That was my dream. It had been ever since I was six years old, and first learned how to wield a sword. I could have had everything I wanted. But I chose to follow the destiny of my best friend instead of my own. 

And now she was treating it like it was just a game. 

A game in which she was the winner. 

Now that I thought about it, everyone but me was a winner in this game. Rapunzel was the princess, everyone took her seriously. Both Eugene and Lance had been useful in getting us out of tight places, due to their experience as thieves, and even Hookfoot and Shorty had played important roles on several occasions. And I would have been important if the shadow-lurking weirdo who called herself Adira hadn't swept in and taken over. 

But now? Now I was just the Captain's girl, just the lady-in-waiting to the princess.   
_Lady-in-waiting._ What an awful phrase, and yet so accurate. Waiting was pretty much all I'd done, as far back as I could remember. I waited for an opportunity to prove myself to my dad. I waited for a chance to do what I was born to do, protect the princess and serve my kingdom. 

How long would I have to wait? 

I didn't know the answer. 

But for now, I'd just have to keep on waiting. Playing the part I'd been given, no matter how unimportant that role may be. It was the best I could do, to hide the way I was feeling and press on. I knew that as soon as I saw a chance to prove myself, I'd grab it.

No matter what the cost may be, I'd find a way to end my waiting. 

I moved even further away from the group, not wanting them to see the two stubborn tears that rolled down my cheeks. 


End file.
